


Bonnie and Clyde

by TheSopherfly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Bucky Barnes's Trigger Words, Canon-Typical Violence, Covert Operation, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Natalia Romanova - Freeform, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, POV Bucky Barnes, Partners in Crime, Quickies, Rescue, Science Experiments, Sex, Shooting, Smut, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:27:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29456703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSopherfly/pseuds/TheSopherfly
Summary: Bucky felt his vibranium hand curl into a fist. Natalia was in front of him before he could blink, her hand covering his metal wrist. She stepped closer, and then her palm was pressed against his cheek, her skin warm against his. The tension drained from his body, and he relaxed into her touch.“I get it,” she said, thumb brushing close to the corner of his mouth. “They’re trying to hurt you. You want to hurt them back.”He nodded, suddenly incapable of speech. It was as if she’d short circuited his brain. All he could think about was her hand on his face; as close as she was, all he wanted was for her to move closer.~Despite the bounties on their heads, Bucky and Natalia do some covert ops work under the table.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35
Collections: Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2020





	Bonnie and Clyde

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [ART for: Wanted MRBB #561](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213644) by [cassandrasfisher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher). 



> This story contains a low-key rescue, some intrigue, some sex/smut (in the middle of a mission!), some combat, and a little bit of sexy fluff. There is canon-typical violence, etc., and the story does begin with references to blood.
> 
> Natasha is referenced as Natalia throughout.
> 
>   
> This work is my collaboration for the Marvel Reverse Big Bang. Thanks so much to [Cassandra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher) for the wonderful art and inspiration! Art can be found [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213644)
> 
> Thanks again to Yeti for beta reading.

Bucky awoke to the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He blinked, his vision snapping quickly into focus. He rotated his jaw a few times - not broken, he decided - then felt around with his tongue, finding the swollen bite mark on the inside of his lower lip. He remembered being punched a few times before those goons, whoever they were, had used the crowbar to knock him out cold. He must’ve bitten his lip going down. He could feel the bruise blooming on the outside edge of his cheekbone. It was only a mild annoyance. With his metabolism and enhancements, the pain would be gone by tomorrow. 

Bucky sat up and took stock. They hadn’t done anything to his combat armor. His boots were still on, his vest still zipped up tight. His utility belt was snug around his waist, but his weapons were gone. Of course. He sighed his frustration, then shifted his focus to his surroundings. He’d been unconscious when he’d been deposited wherever this was. The floor and walls were made of steel, cold and sterile and probably reinforced with concrete. It would take hours to punch his way through, and that would draw the kind of attention he couldn’t afford. There was a toilet in the corner - how thoughtful - and a bench along the wall. The cell didn’t have a door. It didn’t need one, Bucky realized with irritation. It had a _forcefield_ instead. 

He sat there staring at it for unending minutes, knowing it was meant to mock him, to taunt him. A cell door made of iron bars, or better yet, plastic or glass, would’ve been easy enough to destroy with his super strength and his new arm. But even vibranium was no match for a forcefield like that. He hadn’t bothered trying to reach through it. These people knew who he was. They knew how to prevent his escape. Reaching through might electrocute him, or worse, incapacitate the arm. Another dead arm was something Bucky would avoid at all costs. He wouldn’t try to escape, not yet. It was easier just to wait for Natalia. If she was even coming.

She had no obligation to break him out. He’d gotten himself in here. Just because they occasionally worked together, didn’t make them a team. They were two lone wolves who hunted together only when it suited them. It was interesting, though, that law enforcement had paired them together on those wanted posters. As if they were partners. Equals. Bucky considered that idea. He was stronger, but Natalia was faster. And smarter, a lot of the time. They were both spies, assassins, weapons, whatever their respective employers needed them to be. They both delivered the same kind of results in the same amount of time. The only real difference was that Bucky was more difficult to injure, and Natalia was more difficult to catch.

He sighed, shifting himself from the floor to the bench. He leaned his head back against the wall. He’d always been able to outrun the people chasing him. What had changed? Was it that he wasn’t running fast enough anymore? Or was he just not paying enough attention? Things in his head were more complicated now than they’d been before. It was like he had two realities in his mind, and he had to find a way to reconcile them. They didn’t always conflict, but when they did, it took time and energy and _so much effort_ to determine whose memories were whose, what was real and what wasn’t. He’d lost precious seconds in countless fights trying to blink away the utter confusion caused by reintroducing Bucky Barnes into his mind. He’d done terrible things as the Winter Soldier. He’d been manipulated and controlled. And yet, everything had somehow been simpler.

He allowed himself to flash through his grounding memories. His family. Steve before the serum. The war. Steve after the serum. His fall. They were all things from his past, from before he’d been dosed and brainwashed, that helped him find himself inside the tangle in his head. Shuri had taught him that. He owed the Wakandans more than he could repay. And now he’d disappeared on them to become a criminal. Again.

Of course, he was only a criminal because he was doing work under the table. He’d been made an official Avenger, but he’d never signed the Accords, and when the team had splintered after the battle with Thanos, Bucky had taken a contract with underground SHIELD operatives looking for very specific information. Information that usually required a full covert ops crew and months of planning and execution. Bucky, or on the rare occasion, Bucky and Natalia, could accomplish that kind of work in days. Problem was, these contracts weren’t exactly sanctioned.

He had a bounty on his head now. So did Natalia, for that matter. Five-hundred grand each. Pitiful. They were both worth more, and anyone with any kind of credentials that tried to capture them knew it.

Bucky snapped to attention as he heard a door creak open. He sat up, squaring his shoulders. There was a pause, and then there were footsteps, soft and sure. He knew they were Natalia’s before she’d taken her second step. 

“Took you long enough,” he said in a low grumble, concealing his relief. He’d considered it a fifty-fifty chance that she would leave him to figure out his escape on his own.

A few seconds later she emerged from the shadows, a keycard held up between two fingers. “Sorry. Reception wasn’t exactly friendly.” 

No surprise there. The men who’d brought him in had looked like mercenaries for hire, but that didn’t make them any less lethal. If only they hadn’t said the stupid _words_ , he might’ve gotten a few more good hits in. He wasn’t brainwashed exactly, not anymore, but the old trigger of _longing, rusted, furnace, daybreak, seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, one, freight car_ had still made him stall like a faulty engine. By the time he’d gotten himself back in gear, he’d already been captured and restrained. 

Natalia swiped the keycard over the read-pad. There was a clicking sound, and the forcefield crackled, then disappeared. “You alright?” she asked, her sharp eyes scanning him for injuries.

Bucky nodded curtly. “I’ve had worse.” He wasn’t lying. He just wasn’t telling her everything. He wouldn’t tell her that he was tired, that his cheek and jaw ached, that his muscles were still screaming at him after having fought his way out of a mob of mercs. That he’d had his mind violated by those damned words. 

He got to his feet and followed her into the hall. They made their way quickly and quietly, and when they reached the door to the stairwell, Natalia opened it a fraction and paused, listening. “Sounds like we haven’t raised the alarm yet.”

Good. Bucky wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone blocking their escape just now. He followed Natalia silently down the stairs, stepping over the bodies of fallen guards. There must’ve been a dozen of them on this level alone, and he spotted a few more further down. They were all wearing expensive tactical armor. That clearly hadn’t been a problem for Natalia. 

He stopped to examine one of the bodies, searching it for weapons. A knife. A pistol. Ammo. They all fit reasonably well into his own belt, even if they weren’t purpose built for it. Bucky wanted to take the machine gun, but that wasn’t a practical weapon. He doubted he’d find a rifle on any of these men, either. Pistol would have to do for now. 

“You took out all these guys?” he asked as he stood, impressed. Sometimes he forgot just how good Natalia was. He was usually too preoccupied by his own targets to notice how well she took out her own. 

“Most expedient way to get to you.”

That made Bucky feel something, but he didn’t know how to interpret what it was. “Thank you,” he said, logging the feeling as gratitude and ignoring the confusing warmth that spread through his stomach. He could examine that reaction later, when they had more time.

Natalia turned back briefly to look at him. “You’re welcome.”

They exited the stairwell only when they reached the basement level, and Bucky was thankful that it was so much easier to go down than up. The door put them out into a garage, and Natalia held out a hand to stop him from going further. “Cameras,” she said.

“Give me one of your knives,” Bucky said, holding out his hand. Natalia did as he asked. He was sure she already knew exactly what he planned to use it for.

Bucky’s aim was practiced and deadly. The blade of the knife, made of some high quality steel compound Stark had developed, hit just above the lens of the camera and drove deep. Bucky watched and waited until the little red light blinked out. He started forward, careful to stay outside the view of the other cameras. He climbed up onto the SUV parked underneath the camera and retrieved the knife, examining it before hopping down. As he’d expected, not a scratch. 

He repeated the process three more times, using railings instead of cars when he couldn’t quite reach high enough. When he was done, he passed the knife back to Natalia and scanned the lot. It wasn’t empty, but they didn’t have a lot of choices, either. No motorcycles, he realized with some disappointment. Motorcycles maneuvered better.

“What about that one?” Natalia asked, pointing to a bright orange Audi near the back.

Bucky barked a laugh. “You lookin’ to get us caught?”

“I’m obviously joking.” She scanned the lot one more time, then gestured at the black Chevy Tahoe. “That one. Least conspicuous.”

Bucky sized it up. Big. Black. Easy to drive. Fast. The tinted windows were a bonus. He nodded his agreement.

It took Natalia less than a minute to break open the driver’s side door. She held it open for him, saying, “You get it started. I’ll drive.”

~

“So,” Bucky asked as Natalia merged onto the highway. Incredibly, the garage had been unattended when they’d left - Bucky wondered if the attendant had been summoned to deal with the commotion elsewhere. The building clearly hadn’t been locked down soon enough, or else the goons they’d been dealing with hadn’t been so smart after all. “We headin’ down to the pier?”

“You sure you’re up for that?”

Bucky’s jaw tensed, and pain flared up through his cheek. He’d forgotten how perceptive she was. “I’m fine.” He wasn’t looking at her, but he could tell her expression was skeptical. “All they did was knock me out.”

If she’d stuck around to watch those bounty hunters haul him off in that last skirmish, she knew that wasn’t true. But she also knew that Bucky hated talking about those damned words.

“Alright,” she said. “Let’s go to the pier.”

The pier had been their mission before Bucky had been captured. Their employer wanted intel on a high profile science and technology company that was running illegal tests and experiments out of a satellite laboratory on the pier. Their power usage had been off the charts, and Bucky knew from the briefing that they’d been buying materials off of the black market. Bucky and Natalia were to acquire as much data from the lab’s computers as possible and bring it back without being detected. 

It was fairly simple recon, provided the people who owned and operated the facility weren’t home. Bucky was reasonably confident that they wouldn’t be, not over the long weekend. He and Natalia still had time. They’d just have to get past regular weekend security, and places like this always used skeleton crews over the holidays.

In the end, security was just as easy to sneak past as Bucky had predicted. They parked the car in one of the open parking lots a quarter of a mile south of the pier, then made their way to one of the building's side entrances. Natalia had knocked out the single security guard with a well-aimed kick, and Bucky had gagged him and tied him up, leaving him leaning against the door.

Their path up to the laboratory had been clear. No motion sensors, no cameras. Whoever this was didn’t want a visual record of the people moving in and out. 

The lab looked like it had come straight out of a science-fiction movie. It was something he might expect of Stark, if Stark were more interested in scientific experiments than technology. The lights were blue and green, running the length of the lab along the edges of the equipment. There were consoles and containers and lab tables, and one main display in the center of the room. Off to the side, there was a clear case that housed what must have been hundreds of beakers full of some sort of strange blue liquid.

“What is all this?” Bucky frowned, staring at the substance, trying to shake himself of the feeling that it was Howard’s super serum all over again. He glanced over at Natalia. She was already in a chair at the main display, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard and tapping in commands.

“I’ve initiated the data transfer,” she said. “Now let me see what I can find.” A few tense moments as she typed and waited, typed and waited. The display lit up with charts, numbers, data on the chemical composition of whatever was in those tubes. Then there were photos and videos - people being injected. Screaming. Crying. Bucky looked away.

Natalia cut the video but didn't clear the screen. It was another few minutes before she said, “They’re developing a neurotoxin.”

Somehow Bucky wasn’t surprised. “What’re they gonna do with it?” Was this a HYDRA plot? Infect half the world with a new disease and then withhold the cure unless their demands were met?

“It’s designed,” she said, speaking so slowly he knew she was afraid of how he might react, “to disable enhanced individuals.”

Individuals like Bucky. Like Steve. Like so many of the Avengers, the people who’d taken him in and protected him when he had barely remembered who he was. Anger boiled in his veins. “We should destroy it.”

“Our job is to take the data. Nothing else.”

Bucky felt his vibranium hand curl into a fist. Natalia was in front of him before he could blink, her hand covering his metal wrist. She stepped closer, and then her palm was pressed against his cheek, her skin warm against his. The tension drained from his body, and he relaxed into her touch.

“I get it,” she said, thumb brushing close to the corner of his mouth. “They’re trying to hurt you. You want to hurt them back.”

He nodded, suddenly incapable of speech. It was as if she’d short circuited his brain. All he could think about was her hand on his face; as close as she was, all he wanted was for her to move closer. 

“I want to hurt them too,” she continued. “But we can’t compromise the mission. Someone will deal with all this, but it can’t be us.”

Bucky swallowed. Natalia was right. It wasn’t his job to destroy anything, as much as he wanted to. This was all evidence. They had to leave it as it was. “Alright,” he agreed. 

His metal hand came up to capture her wrist, imitating her earlier gesture. He hadn’t meant for it to be intimate or possessive, but he felt something shift between them as soon as he touched her, felt her pulse quicken underneath his vibranium thumb. He struggled against his impulse and failed. 

He leaned down and kissed her, and to his surprise she rose to meet him, both hands cradling his face and drawing him down, urging him to kiss her harder. They both paused, jarred, when Natalia ran into the data desk from behind. Bucky shook his head, trying to remember why he hadn’t done this before, not sure now why he’d ever held himself back. Natalia pulled him forward, arms around his neck, and his hands dropped to her waist, holding her still as he crowded close. He opened his mouth to her as soon as he felt her tongue slide over the seam of his lips. Their tongues slid together, and heat curled low in his abdomen.

Her hand snaked down to cup him through his combat trousers. He groaned, burying his face in her neck and arching his hips into her touch. It was uncomfortable - the fabric had almost no give in that particular place - but it felt good, and Bucky wanted more. He recaptured her mouth with his, working his hips in rhythm with her hand, sliding his tongue back into her mouth to brush against hers.

Bucky had never done anything like this, not even close. Missions were meant to be performed without distractions, or at least, that was what he remembered. What the Soldier remembered. “What if someone comes in?” he managed to ask in a raspy voice, one of very few coherent thoughts rattling around in his head as he pulled away.

“That would be bad,” she replied, and Bucky almost laughed. Reluctantly, she put a hand on his shoulder. He took a step back. “Data’s downloaded,” she said as she turned to look at the display screen. She grabbed the USB drive and pulled it out, tucking it into the pocket just below her chest. “Got it.”

“Right,” Bucky said, not able to come up with a more coherent reply. His mind had stalled for an entirely different reason now. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. 

Natalia seemed to read his mind. She took his hand. “Come with me.”

Bucky didn’t understand what she was doing, but he didn’t argue, letting Natalia lead him toward the door at the back of the room. It was a storage closet, he realized as she pulled him inside and closed the door behind them.

Before Bucky had time to think, Natalia’s lips were on his again, her hands fisting into his hair. He kissed her until he couldn’t breathe, until his lungs burned, and then suddenly she was pulling away. It took him a few seconds to realize what she was doing - she was getting undressed. What looked like a single piece combat suit actually had a zip at the waist, allowing Natalia to pull the leggings down and off as Bucky worked his own zipper open. Natalia’s hands pushed his own out of the way, and she was the one who finally freed his cock, stroking it with expert hands.

“Fuck,” Bucky choked, bracing his arms against the wall on either side of Natalia’s shoulders. His muscles trembled. He thrust in time with each twist of her wrist until she released him, then groaned again as she hooked one leg around his waist, pulling him toward her. His cock met the warmth of her entrance, and he breathed in sharply as she tilted her hips and he slipped inside. 

Bucky let out an incoherent sound. His hands slid around to her ass, and she allowed him to lift her up, her other leg wrapping around his waist. _“God,”_ he groaned as she took him deeper. He breathed out slowly, not moving. The pleasure was already blinding. It was so much more than he’d had in so long. He rested his forehead against hers, thrusting his hips experimentally.

It was Natalia who moaned this time. She muffled it in his mouth, kissing him hard, then biting down on his lower lip. She rolled her hips with his, urging him to move faster. “As much as I hate to ruin the mood,” she said, sounding like she was struggling to speak, “we should probably make this quick.”

“Not ruining anything,” Bucky breathed, following her lead and picking up the pace. He snapped his hips hard and fast, and she met him thrust for thrust, hands on his shoulders, nails digging into the fabric of his vest. He wished it was his skin instead. 

He was getting close. “Natalia,” he warned, his pace not faltering. She reached between them to touch herself, and he let out an embarrassing whine. Natalia whimpered in response, and the sound nearly undid him. Neither of them spoke again as he drove closer and closer to his edge, thrusting harder and harder, not holding back. Yes. He was so close. _Fuck._

Natalia came first, clamping down hard around him, and Bucky followed her seconds later, thrusting once more before spilling into her. His body spasmed, and the pleasure turned his vision white, making him see stars.

They stayed like that, connected, for a few breathless seconds. Natalia pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips, then shifted, holding onto his shoulders as she removed her legs from his waist and planted her feet back on the ground. He slipped out of her, and he tucked himself back in and zipped up, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. He and Natalia had - they’d - _fuck._ His mind was still too muzzy to try to work everything out. All he knew was that it had felt good.

When Natalia was dressed again, she led them back the way they’d come, out through the experiment room and into the dark hallway. Bucky’s heart rate had returned to normal by then, and his brain was slowly coming back online. They’d made it halfway back to the side entrance when red lights began flashing above them and the klaxon started to screech.

Someone knew they were here.

“Shit,” Natalia said. A security door was starting to close, blocking off the side entrance. Natalia jogged toward the doors to the atrium, pushing them open and ducking down behind a counter at the sound of gunfire. “We’re not alone.”

“No we’re not,” Bucky growled, pulling out his pistol and thumbing the safety off. “I don’t have enough ammo for this.” He should’ve grabbed the machine gun when he’d had the chance. At least then he would’ve been able to give her some cover. He decided to ignore the fact that he cared - a lot - if Natalia got injured. Was that feeling new? Or had it always been there, hiding out of sight?

“Neither do I,” Natalia replied, a pistol in each hand. She turned and fired, her head popping up over the barrier for a fraction of a second. Bullets ricocheted off of the metal, the sound echoing loudly in the large space.

They wouldn’t be able to hold this position for long. They needed to get to the exit. Bucky levered himself up into a crouching position. “I’ll draw their fire,” he said. “You go around and get them from behind.”

She looked like she was about to argue, but he didn’t give her time. He sprinted out from their hiding spot, vibranium arm held up to deflect the spray of bullets. The flat-out run took all of his energy, all of his focus. He heard Natalia’s footsteps as she ran from their hiding spot, but he kept their attackers’ attention, his boots pounding hard and fast against the marble floor. 

He heard a bullet whoosh past his ear. Seconds later he felt the sting of pain in his shoulder, and he ducked down behind one of the room’s two planters, his back against the metal base. He glanced to his right, trying to assess the damage. He heard more shots behind him, and then the room went eerily quiet. Bucky waited. After what felt like hours, he heard one final shot, and the sound of metal and plastic hitting the floor.

“Got ’em,” Natalia said, out of breath, as she crossed the room toward him.

“Good to hear.” He stood up, rolling his shoulders back and instantly regretting the motion.

Natalia frowned. “You’re bleeding.”

“Just grazed my shoulder. I’m fine.”

“You’re exhausted.” 

Her words were punctuated by the protests of his tired muscles. His aching knees felt like they might give out. “Just need someplace to take a break,” he said. “Food. Water. Sleep. Been a while since I had any of those.” He watched her pull gauze from the pocket in her belt, then winced as she pressed it onto the wound on his shoulder. “Ow,” he complained.

“Not sorry,” she said with a smirk. Of course, she was right to stop the bleeding. Otherwise he’d probably end up leaving a trail. “I’ve called in most of my favors,” she continued. “You have any suggestions?”

“A few.” He breathed out, trying to relax his shoulder. “If you can drive, I can get us in.”

~

Their host was a man on Bucky’s list - the list he kept of people who would take him in if he ever needed it - who lived just outside of town. He owned a rundown looking apartment complex, and he always kept a room or two open, just in case. When Bucky and Natalia arrived, they found a clean room with food already set out on the table and clothes on the bed. There wasn’t a shower, but at least the place had heat, and hot water and a tub for a bath. They were both ravenous, and after eating Natalia all but ordered Bucky to bathe first. He pretended to take offense, asking if he really smelled that bad.

“No,” Natalia said, “but you look that bad.”

Bucky finally admitted defeat and retreated to the bathroom, running the water until it was practically scalding. He struggled a bit to disrobe, his limbs feeling tired and weak. Sliding his vest over his shoulder made him wince. At least his cheek wasn’t bothering him anymore.

When he was done getting undressed, he poured what turned out to be lavender scented body wash in with the running water. Bubbles frothed up quickly. A pleasant, calming scent filled the room. He finally slid into the water, and he breathed slowly out of his nose, not wanting to make any embarrassing noises. He sat for a few long minutes, enjoying the loosening effect the heat had on his tense body. He looked up when he heard the door open.

“Feeling better?” Natalia asked, the door cracked just a few inches.

Bucky couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed. She’d seen him naked before. She’d had sex with him earlier that day. It didn’t matter if she could see anything in the soapy water. “Much better,” he said honestly.

“Good.” Instead of leaving the way she’d come, she stepped all the way in, a small bowl held in her hands. “I thought you might want some help washing your hair.”

Bucky swallowed. Was he really afraid of domestic intimacy when he’d been physically intimate with Natalia just hours ago? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that question. He glanced down at his shoulder. He would need help keeping his new bandage dry, at least. “Alright,” he agreed.

She sat on the floor beside the bath, dipping the bowl into the water, then lifting it out. She tilted Bucky’s head back and poured it over his hair, keeping it out of his eyes and away from his injured shoulder with a careful sweep of her hand. For all her strength in a fight, her touch was soft. Gentle. She worked some of the lavender soap into his hair, dragging suds through the grown-out strands and combing through them, then massaged his scalp with her fingers before rinsing everything away with more warm water from the basin.

It was so calming, Bucky felt himself drifting into something like a trance. His vision blurred a little. “Didn’t think you were comin’. Before, I mean. When I got caught.” He wasn’t sure what had made him say it.

Natalia considered him for a moment, wiping a drop of water from his brow. “Why not?”

“You had no reason to. I know you’d rather work alone.”

She looked thoughtful when she replied, “Sometimes working alone is lonely.”

“Safer, though. Nobody to hurt but yourself.”

“Like I said, lonely.” She brushed a lock of wet hair behind his ear, then met his eyes. “We could be partners. Like Bonnie and Clyde.” The idea obviously amused her, but he could tell that underneath the humor, the suggestion was serious. “We’re already halfway there. We have our own wanted poster. We stole a car together. I broke you out of a cell.”

They were more than halfway there, considering they’d fucked in a storage closet in the middle of a mission. And god, it had been _good_. “Bonnie and Clyde got shot,” he said, directing his thoughts away from that particular part of their afternoon. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be begging to do it again.

“We’ve been shot, too. Multiple times. In fact, this,” Natalia pulled at the collar of her combat suit to reveal a scar on her shoulder, “is from when you shot me.”

“I remember.” He wasn’t sure if she heard the apology in his words. He - the Soldier - had shot her more than once. For some reason, it bothered him that he was responsible for so many of her scars.

They sat in silence for a while longer. Natalia helped to wring the water from his hair, then handed him a towel. She turned her back politely as he stood and stepped out, drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist. 

“Thank you,” he said as she turned around, and he struggled against a strong urge to kiss her. Why were these new impulses so difficult to control?

“You’re welcome.” She started to pull her hair out of its braid, and he watched, distracted, until she cleared her throat. He met her gaze. He tried to get control of himself, knowing he probably seemed like a hungry animal the way he was ogling her. He expected a reproving look, but all she did was smile at him. “You should go get some sleep,” she said.

“Right.” With enormous self-control he tore himself away, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He changed slowly into the sweatpants and sleep shirt their host had supplied, then fell back into bed, thinking about Natalia’s hair.

~

Bucky didn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke to the sound of rain falling outside. He blinked, his eyelids heavy, then sat up, rolling his sore shoulders. The pain had lessened, and he could tell his wound was already beginning to heal. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel tired. It was a strange sensation. He was sharper somehow. More aware. It was a rarity - being a wanted criminal didn’t exactly make for regular sleep. He remembered Natalia’s suggestion. They could be wanted criminals together. _Bonnie and Clyde._ Not the best comparison, considering those two had been caught and killed. But the idea itself wasn’t a bad one. Maybe together he and Natalia could stop running, or at least stay a step ahead.

Bucky sensed Natalia before he saw her. She was standing in front of the window, watching the street below. It was still nighttime, and the light from the half-moon reflected off of the wet pavement. The low, blue light made her skin look pale, deepening the red of her hair. He watched her for a minute, then two, wondering if she knew he was awake.

She was beautiful, he thought. It wasn’t a new observation. She had always been beautiful. There were just times Bucky wasn’t equipped to see it, like when he was in the middle of combat, or when his head was messed up. Now it was all he could do to keep his mind off of Natalia for a few minutes at a time. He stared, following the curve of her lips and the sweep of her cheekbones with his eyes. Beautiful. He found himself admiring her body, hard and soft all at once, muscles and curves coming together in stunning contradiction, and damn if he didn’t _want_ her. He wondered if she still wanted him. 

She’d changed into her sleep clothes, a button-down top and pants both made of what looked like black silk. Her feet were bare, and her long hair was loose, falling over one shoulder. He wondered how it would feel to run his fingers through it. 

“Alright?” he asked finally, sliding out of bed and getting to his feet. 

She turned to look at him over her shoulder, smiling a little. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“I usually can’t either. Must’ve been exhausted.” He crossed toward her, stopping just a few inches behind her. “Guess you were right.”

“I always am.”

Whatever self-control he’d had before disappeared. He took a step closer, resting a tentative hand on her hip. His nose and lips brushed the back of her head, breathing her in. When she didn’t push him away, he turned to nuzzle her ear. She tilted her head just a fraction. He leaned down, lips skimming the exposed skin of her neck, arms circling her waist to pull her flush against him.

She laughed, and it sounded a little breathless. “And here I thought I was only a temporary distraction.” 

Bucky hummed, contentment and arousal twisting together and making it hard for him to speak. He breathed against her skin, and she reached up to run gentle fingers through his hair. “Not temporary,” he managed. “Unless you get tired of me.” Maybe that was the reason he’d never wanted a partner before. Everyone who’d ever worked with the Soldier had eventually _discarded_ him. Bucky closed his eyes as if it would protect him from that potential reality.

“I wouldn’t count on it.” She turned in his arms, and Bucky let out an approving noise as she kissed him, pulling him down toward her. He all but fell into her embrace, letting her lips anchor him as want and desire carried him away.

~

  
  
  
  



End file.
